Dalmore OB Dee Dram 12yo 43%alc.

A limited Edition of 3600 bottles.

‘50% of profits from the sale of this outstanding single Highland malt will be gifted to The River Dee Trust in acknowledgement of their tireless work to protect and enhance this most beautiful of environments.’

Official Tasting Note:

‘Deep golden mahogany in colour, with orange, marmalade and aromatic spices on the nose. Elegant and rich on the palate with intense citrus and hints of sweet vanilla pods to finish. Longer than usual time in Sherry wood delivers an aftertaste of great complexity.

Matured 50% in American white oak Bourbon barrels and 50% in Oloroso Sherry wood.’

Price excluding VAT: £35.66
£41.90 Including VAT at 17.5%

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk

THE SPIRIT OF CELEBRATION

Grant’s launches rare and distinctive ultra premium expression to commemorate centenary 

Family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons Ltd. today announces the launch of Grant’s 25 Year Old, the ultra premium blended Scotch whisky designed to complement Grant’s award-winning range.

Grant’s 25 Year Old celebrates over a century and five generations of the Grant’s family, as well as their collective contribution to creating the finest Scotch whisky.  It marks 100 years since Charles Gordon (son-in-law of William Grant) set off on a 12 month trip to take Grant’s to the world – sowing the seeds for what has become the world’s most loved family whisky brand.

Expertly blended by Master Blender, Brian Kinsman, this rare and patiently crafted blend contains some of the world’s most highly-prized and distinctive malt and grain whiskies, including the first ever laid down at Grant’s Girvan distillery as well as rare whiskies from distilleries no longer in existence. Each individually numbered batch has been married in oak tuns for several months for enhanced depth and complexity, producing an exceptional whisky full of warmth and character.

“This exceptional 25 year old blended Scotch whisky is our way of celebrating each family member’s contribution to the success of Grant’s whisky and our unique family history,” comments Peter Gordon, the fifth generation descendent of the distillery’s founder, William Grant and current company Chairman. “Distilled in Girvan – a site built by our current life president Charles Gordon – Grant’s 25 Year Old contains 25 whiskies from every region of Scotland with the most unique element being our Girvan Grain – the backbone of all our blends.” 

Encased within an individually hand-finished cobalt blue presentation box adorned with champagne gold engraved metalwork, Grant’s 25 Year Old is presented in a bespoke glass bottle designed to perfectly showcase the rich amber of the whisky.

The embossed tree on the bottle represents the contributions of many branches of the Grant’s family and reflects the time, care and craftsmanship that are the key ingredients of this fine and exceptional blend. The heavyweight glass, tactile emboss and deep base give a substantial feel in the hand and the finely engraved stopper proudly crowns what is Grant’s most prized whisky to date.

Just over 2,000 bottles of Grant’s 25 Year Old will be available exclusively in the world’s most prestigious airports from June 2010 until the end of 2011, before a limited number will travel from the distillery to select retailers and high-end establishments around the world. It has a recommended retail price of £145 per bottle.

ENDS
 

Notes to Editors

Grant’s 25 year old

As you would expect from a precious blend of such age, it exudes elegance and refinement. In the glass, it glints deep bronze, its character immediate on the nose with deft balanced notes of fragrant summer peach blossom and polished leather. On the palate, there is cinnamon and a touch of ginger bite along with a fresh and mellow sweetness, followed by a finish of spices that lingers on the tongue.

Notes: Spicy cinnamon and a touch of ginger along with a fresh and mellow sweetness

Grant’s is produced by William Grant & Sons, an award-winning family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by his direct descendants.  The deliciously complex and smooth taste of Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky is down to the way it is made from a recipe created more than 100 years ago by William Grant. Passed down from generation to generation, today it is the expert skills of our Master Blender along with a team of craftsmen, who keep alive William Grant’s pioneering spirit and his passion for blending the finest whisky.

Grant’s award-winning range of cask finished and aged blended Scotch whiskies include Grant’s Family Reserve, the world’s oldest and most popular family owned Scotch. Grant’s Cask Reserves, created by ‘finishing’ Grant’s Family Reserve in either ale or sherry casks before bottling and Grant’s 12 Year Old is the only blended whisky to spend an extra finishing period in American oak casks, producing a full bodied Scotch of exceptional richness.

Five generations and over 100 years since its creation, Grant’s Family Reserve Blended Scotch reasserted its credentials as one of the whisky industry’s greats by scooping Gold at the prestigious 2009 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). The International Wine and Spirit Competition Medals and trophies are the most prestigious honours awarded in the trade, representing the best of the best in the world of wine and spirits.

Visit William Grant & Sons at http://www.williamgrant.com/

Bowmore 13 Year Old
Chateau Petrus Cask,  Murray McDavid Bottling  Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$69.99

Distilled: 1996. Bourbon/Pomerol casks.
1200 Bottles. 46% ABV.

Iodine, brine, peat, red berry fruit, and custard on the nose. The palate is dry upfront with barley that quickly moves to iodine, salty fruit, cherries, berries, peat, cacao and peppery spiciness.

Highland Park 14 Year Old

Chateau Lafite Cask, Murray McDavid Bottling  Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$83.99

Distilled: 1995. Bourbon/Lafite casks.
1900 Bottles. 46% ABV.

Salt, Nougat, heather and barley on the nose. It has a light body but is fantastically flavorful. The palate shows raspberry, light smoke, salt water taffy, porridge, carob and strawberries. Very Creamy.

About Murray McDavid

Murray McDavid are Independent Bottlers with a difference. The tradition of independent bottling goes back 150 years and was, until fairly recently, the only source for many of Scotland’s finest malts. The practice of distilleries bottling their own malts started in the 60s, but only became a major event in the last few years. Independent bottlers offer the consumer many things. They offer the opportunity to taste some of the more esoteric malts not bottled by their owners. They offer the chance to try well known and widely available brands at a different age, a different strength, possibly even a different type of barrel than the distillery bottled product.

Visit D&M at www.dandm.com

email winesales@runbox.com Trentino Distribution

Duty stampsavailable if required

EXCLUSIVE RELEASE OF BENRIACH

Due to be released at the beginning of May is a unique single cask bottling of BenRiach that is the brainchild of Major Matt Wilkinson of the King’s Royal Hussars.  Given his love of single malts it was only natural that Matt’s thoughts should turn to sourcing a suitable cask that could be bottled for his regiment, and this bottling of Cask 5608 from BenRiach Distillery was duly selected after extensive tasting of samples by Matt and some colleagues (it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it…)

The whisky that they finally settled on is an unpeated 14 year old with a Pedro Ximenez finish.  It is described by Matt as ‘an absolutely delicious whisky and one that tastes considerably older than its 14 years ……quite outstanding, it really is fantastic!’.

The official tasting notes from the bottle read as follows:

‘Sweet oak and heather honey create a beautifully crafted whisky that
develops well. Soft white summer fruits of peaches, pears and apricots
mould well with rich dessert sherry and butterscotch.  A soft yet
vibrant BenRiach.  Incredibly sweet and well-defined.’

Only 270 bottles of this totally unique bottling, with a stunning image of The King’s Royal Hussars Regimental Capbadge on the label, will be released – most of which will be sold privately.  However, an allocation has been made available for the general public and we are really thrilled that Arkwrights have been granted exclusive rights to sell this fabulous whisky via both our shop in Wiltshire and online at www.whiskyandwines.com. 

Retailing at just £49.99 (£5 of which will be donated to the Help for Heroes charity) this is a whisky that will appeal to both whisky lovers and collectors alike.  For further information, and to pre-order click here

Slainte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

Malt Messenger No. 38

It’s been a while since I’ve been in touch with all of you wonderful whisky people. I hope you all had an excellent Easter, Spring Break and or Passover.  I haven’t had time to write a full Malt Messenger in a while and even so this one is a little lighter than some past epics. But it’s also a little fuller than a Bulletin, so lets call it Malt Messenger No. 38 and be done with it.

I have lots of good news to report (a new 41 year old Glenfarclas and the Diageo 2009 New Releases), and one unfortunate piece of bad news (no Brora 30Yr!). There are also some interesting tastings coming up in the near future and a couple of whiskies not long for the shelf. So I’ve put this together with some haste to get the word out and proselytize to the whisky faithful!

I hope you enjoy this abbreviated Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

In This Edition:

Whisky Traveler Speyside and the Whisky Traveler Tastings

OMC Probably Speyside’s Finest 41Yr 1967 – NEW BOTTLING
2009 Diageo New Release
Port Ellen 30Yr
Talisker 30Yr
Pittyvaich 20Yr
Benrinnes 22Yr
Mannochmore 18Yr
The Big Peat Is Back
Going, Going, Almost Gone… OMC KWM Port Ellen 25Yr
Going, Going, Almost Gone… BenRiach 1994 KWM Madeira Cask
Glenlivet XXV

Whisky Traveler Speyside – Thursday April 22nd – $65

The whisky traveler tastings are a new addition to our spring whisky program here at the store. It is a series of regionally specific tastings that highlight some of the best whiskies in a specific region of Scotland while taking a virtual tour complete with maps, photos and maybe the odd video. It will be the next best thing to visiting the country yourself!

The first in the series is the above mentioned Whisky Traveller Speyside. The Speyside is Scotland’s most represented whisky region, with nearly half of the country’s more than 100 distillery’s calling it home. We’ll investigate why that is, get a lay for the land and sample some incredible drams. I haven’t finalized the list just yet, but some of the whiskies we will sample may include the following 4 and at least two other as yet unchosen whiskies:

OMC Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery 41Yr
Duthies Cragganmore 15Yr
Balvenie 17Yr Sherry Oak
BenRiach 1996 KWM Madeira Cask
??
??

Sign up for all three Whisky Traveller Tastings, and save $5 on each, or a total of $15.  The other Whisky Traveller Tastings are:

Whisky Traveller Orkney – May 13th – $65
Whisky Traveler Islay – June 17th – $65
* For the rest of our Spring Tasting Schedule visit our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com..

OMC Probably Speyside’s Finest 41Yr 1967 – $275.99

Only 36 bottles of this whisky have come in to Canada and Kensington Wine Market has bought all of them. “Probably Speyside’s Finest” is the euphemism used by Douglas Laing when they bottle Glenfarclas under their Old Malt Cask label. We have had two previous bottlings of “Probably Speyside’s Finest” and they have also been 40 plus year old sherry butt matured whiskies at bargain prices. I enjoyed both of the previous bottlings, but this current one is by far my favourite. 

Although this bottling was never originally intended to be an exclusive, it has effectively become one. I purchased a single case last week, and after giving it a try I made a deal with the agent for the five remaining cases. The whisky was distilled in November of 1967, and matured in a Single Sherry Butt until bottling in September of 2009. 456 total bottles were produced. Of the but 36 bottles which coming into Canada, the first 15 have already sold, and the rest won’t last long.

My tasting note: Nose: spicy-sweet, cedar and mahogany (you can tell this whisky is older, but not over the hill), dark fruits, marzipan and a light nuttiness. Palate: the palate surges with spicy, caramelized fruit and toasted oak, there is a creamy undertone but it plays second fiddle to the dark chocolates and fruit. Finish: long with sweet dark fruits, dry with toasted oak.

Like the two previous expressions of “Probably Speyside’s Finest” there are three reasons why this whisky is such an excellent buy. Firstly, price: most 40 plus year old whiskies—including the Glenfarclas Family Casks retail for between $1500.00 and well over $4000.00 per bottle. Most distilleries never thought there would be much of a market for whiskies this old and as such older stocks, especially those in the hands of distilleries are rare indeed. At just $275, this whisky is a fraction the price of most 40 year olds, but every bit as good. Secondly, there’s quality: age is not always a guarantor of quality, most older whiskies—those more than 30 years of age—are simply overwhelmed by the oak. But well balanced older whiskies offer experiences that good younger bottlings simply cannot. And this is one such bottling. Don’t miss out!

2009 Diageo New Releases

Diageo’s 2009 new releases are finally here, a quarter of the way through 2010.  Originally they were supposed to be here in the late fall of 2009, and it’s been up in the air for while as to when they would finally materialize. Well they have and they will be in store next Wednesday, April 21st. They’ve arrived in very small quantities, and will not last long. So if there are bottlings you are interested in get your order in early. Sadly I’ve just found out that the Brora 30Yr won’t be arriving at all. Diageo Canada dragged its feet placing the order, so Alberta is loosing out on this highly rated (96pts) and eagerly anticipated whisky.

Here’s what is coming, I’ll have more information in the next full Malt Messenger:

Port Ellen 30Yr – 93pts John Hansel, Malt Advocate Magazine. “Port Ellen whiskies are going to just keep getting rarer and more expensive. This old-fashioned whisky is beginning to show its age, but is still holding up nicely. It’s clean, with no excessive oak and soft sweet maltiness for balance. Earthy and rooty at times, with tarry rope, beach pebbles, leafy smoke, bourbon barrel char, black licorice, lemon peel, and hints of shellfish and diesel fumes (like following a boat in the ocean). Long, smoky, lightly briny finish.” 57.7% / 5,916 Numbered Bottles – $449.99

Talisker 30Yr – Only 3000 bottles, 53.1%, called a “cracker” by Royal Mile Whiskies, and “Very, very drinkable with, with plenty of character” by The Whisky Exchange. This one is limited to 1 bottle per customer as I am only getting 6! The palate is said to be sweet and chewy, with dried fruits, spices, lots of vanilla, ginger and cloves.  – $479.99

Pittyvaich 20Yr – This is an unusual bottling as only one other official release of Pittyvaich was ever bottled, a long discontinued Flora and Fauna bottling. This whisky is also quite rare, coming from a now closed distillery (1993). Royal Mile Whiskies described the nose as “stunning” and the palate is “syrupy, and thick”. 57.5%  1 bottle per customer  – $289.99

Benrinnes 23Yr – 58.8% / 6000 individually numbered bottles. This official bottling of Benrinnes was filled into European oak sherry casks in 1985. Diageo describes the whisky as “Big, powerful and immediately assertive… Waxy-viscous texture; slight traces of brimstone. Raisin and lots of date.” 1 bottle per customer  – $314.99

Mannochmore 18Yr Bourbon Cask – 54.9% Royal Mile Whiskies calls this “a lovely, lovely sherried whisky.” And judging by the appearance they must be spot on. After 18 years in sherry casks it has hues of mahogany. 1 bottle per customer – $274.99
 

The Big Peat is Back – $79.99

Blended malts are nothing new, there have been more than a few released over the years, many referred to as Pure or Vatted Malts. The latter two terms are no longer legally permissible, owing to a recently passed British Law. But what is unique about The Big Peat is its composition, the whisky is made by blending Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila  and Port Ellen to create a rich peaty whisky. Having Ardbeg and Bowmore in blended malt is exciting enough, but the inclusion of Port Ellen is what makes it really exciting.

Port Ellen distillery closed 26 years ago and its whisky is getting older, rarer and more expensive. Douglas Laing who bottled The Big Peat are rumoured to have more casks of Port Ellen than its owners Diageo. In the words of Stewart Laing, one of the two brothers at the helm of Douglas Laing, “I’ll be dead, buried and forgotten before we run out of Port Ellen”. This is an enviable position considering Diageo’s own stocks are said to be running low. Diageo sold off most of its stocks of Port Ellen in the 80’s when there was a glut of whisky. There was so much oversupply of whisky in the early 80’s that Scotland’s distillers were said to be sitting on a ‘whisky loch!’  The Port Ellen in this blended malt can be of no less than 25/26 years of age.

“This vatting carries a big peaty (often called “phenolic”), beachy oceanic slightly ashy selection of Malts from the island of Islay, from where the Laing family hail – and no wonder – as we have included Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen in the “recipe”! All these lusty and robust Malts selected for BIG PEAT with the fact that no chill filtration takes place – a more old fashioned traditional approach – and you will detect a massive amplification of the anticipated sea-faring qualities on the nose, palate, and finish. These are particularly appreciated when consumed leisurely in the same style these Malts have waited for you in the cold, dark and windswept warehouses of Islay.” – From Douglas Laing Co.

This whisky is semi-exclusive to Kensington Wine Market, and is available in limited quantities. At $79.99 it is a bargain.

 Going, Going, Almost Gone… – OMC KWM Port Ellen 25Yr – $249.99

Our private bottling of Port Ellen has been a tremendous success. We are very proud to be the first retailer and only retailer—to the best of my knowledge—in North America to have bottled our own cask of whisky from Scotland’s most mourned distillery. Port Ellen distillery closed its doors for ever in 1983, and since then its legend has continued to grow. The maturing whisky is now no less than 26 years of age, and the stocks are diminishing making Port Ellen older, rarer and more expensive with every passing year.

Our Port Ellen cask was chosen by yours truly and a couple of my customers who are all Port Ellen fanatics. Our Sherry Butt yielded but 210 bottles at a natural cask strength of 54.7%. There are now only 25 bottles left! The following is my tasting note:

The first sip has some heat, but its clean and rolls out into green earthy notes, then sweet honey and finally salty smoke. The second sip is classic Port Ellen, all the taste buds in my mouth are alight with sweet, smoky, earthy, fresh and fruity notes. Towards the back of the palate the smoky-briny take over and lead the charge with some dark chocolate-peat close behind. The third sip is creamier, with buttery-briny-peat; very lovely!

If you are a fan of Peaty Islay Malts you owe to yourself to try our Port Ellen before it’s too late!

Going, Going, Almost Gone – BenRiach 1994 KWM Madeira Cask – $109.99

Like many of our private bottlings, our BenRiach cask is flying off the shelf. We started with 250 bottles about 3 months ago and have barely more than 1/5, or about 55 bottles left. The whisky was chosen with the help of the customers of Kensington Wine Market last summer, and is the product of a single Madeira finished hogshead cask.

I wrote about our BenRiach in the last full Malt Messenger, and for those of you who haven’t yet seen it, here’s the info again:

Last June 20 customers of the Kensington Wine Market and I sat down to sample cask samples from BenRiach distillery with the purpose of selecting one to be bottled for the store. We called the tasting Whisky Democracy. The idea came from a tour I’d led the year before where six of my travelling companions and I had selected a cask of Springbank at the distillery to be bottled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market. What struck me was the pride and personal ownership they all took in helping to select the cask. I thought, why not enfranchise a greater number of people, and Whisky Democracy was born.

The cask we selected, 4810, is a Madeira Hogshead. The whisky—distilled in 1994—was originally matured in American oak Bourbon casks before finishing in this single Madeira barrel. Matured a total of 15 years, 250 bottles were filled in September of 2009 at a natural cask strength of 57.1%. The whisky has been bottled without colouring or chillfiltering. It is sweet, spicy and soft; full tasting note to follow further below.

Originally it was hoped the whisky would be here in time for our cask release party in November.  Special guest, Alistair Walker of BenRiach distillery would be on hand to help us celebrate the launch and hopefully sign some bottles. Unfortunately the cask was accidentally shipped to another continent (my recollection is that it made it to South Africa) before being redirected back to Canada. Inconvenient though this was, there is a twist of irony to it.

As mentioned, our whisky was finished in a Madeira wine cask, and Madeira wines have an interesting history. Fortified with neutral cane spirit (eventually brandy) in a style similar to that for producing port, the wines became popular with the Dutch East India Company. The wines were taken by ship down the coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean to the Dutch East Indies. On the voyage the wines were affected by the transformative movements of the ship and the intense heat. On one of these trips the wines completed a full circle, returning to the islands of Madeira having been cooked by the heat and oxidized by the air, but the resulting wine was very popular. A new style of wine was born, whose makers object was to do everything possible to spoil it. For a while Madeira was made by maturing wines on long sea voyages and in many cases by crossing the equator. This was however a very expensive way to make wine and eventually new methods were developed. But it is interesting to note that our cask of BenRiach too crossed the equator on a long sea voyage, and whether that journey had any perceptible effect or not, our latest cask is exceptional!

 The whisky’s just arrived, and more than 50 of the 250 bottles have already sold, most of them pre-committed to by attendees of the Cask Release Party in November. While I doubt this cask will sell out as quickly as our Tullibardine PX Cask (11 days), it won’t last long. I have set aside some of the numbered bottles 1-12 but will not be selling the others on such a basis. If you want one of these 12 bottles please let me know ASAP 1-3 are already spoken for.

My Tasting Note:

Nose: very sweet, maple syrup, barley sugar, some soft treacle notes, ginger and cinnamon, some soft vanilla and raisiny fruits.

Palate: warming and spicy, soft but firm toasted oak, more barley sugar, pan fried honey and sweet spices: ginger and cinnamon.

Finish: clean, soft and sweet, drying late with subtle spices.

Glenlivet 25Yr – $339.99

After more than three years Glenlivet’s 25 year old is finally available to Albertans. The 25 year old was distilled in 1980, matured mainly in American oak Bourbon casks, finishing for its last couple of years in Oloroso Sherry. Jim Murray scored it at 91pts in his Whisky Bible. Tasting note by Dave Broom of Whisky Magazine: “Nose: Mature and deep. Stewed tea, dried cherry, fig, Madeira cake mix alongside some tomato/balsamic rancio notes. Palate: Slightly tannic grip think hard toffee dried blossom rich with substance. light to medium fruits lovely balance. Finish: XXX (triple x-ED).” 8/10

The whisky comes beautifully packaged in a complex wooden presentation case, complete with instructions for how to open it…

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy

403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked a new item, ‘Glendronach Grandeur’

Glendronach Grandeur 31yo
45.8% abv
£340.00 inc vat
£289.36 ex vat

 Wonderfully presented whisky.

1013 bottles available from Batch 1. 100% Oloroso Sherry matured.

Official Tasting Note:

Nose – A tremendous concentration of fruits, nuts and berries enveloped in a coffee and mocha glaze. Subtle sweet sherry notes interact beautifully with sticky date pudding aromas.

Palate- Very big and gusty flavours adorn each mouthful, yet with perfect balance and refinement. Initial spiced orange flavours and rich old Oloroso sherry are met mid-palate with roasted almonds, coffee and treacle. The dry concentrated flavours from the almonds and the oloroso sherry are balanced in perfect harmony with sultanas, chocolate and honey.

Conclusions- This is a rewarding, memorable and captivating GlenDronach expression for a very special occasion.

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Three New Tomatin’s

The Tomatin Distillery, Inverness-shire, is delighted to announce the release of two single cask and one limited edition bottling.

The first of the single casks was distilled in September 1997 and matured in a first fill bourbon barrel for over 12 years and bottled at cask strength – 57.1%abv . Only 244 bottles are available and will be sold in a limited number of Western European markets as well as Japan.

The second Single cask was distilled in January 1999 and initially matured in a re fill American oak cask before being transferred into a European oak cask which was used to mature tempranillo wine. After spending over 2 year in the wine cask it was bottled at cask strength – 57.1%abv. Only 302 bottles are available and again they will be sold in a limited number of Western European markets as well as Japan.

The third release is a limited edition 21 year old bottling which was created using 7 casks, 6 of which were re fill American oak casks and the 7th an ex sherry butt. Again bottled at casks strength – 52%abv – and limited to a release of just 2400 bottles which will be made available in selected markets throughout the world including the United Kingdom.

Stephen Bremner, Sales Director at the distillery commented: “Up until very recently you would have been hard pushed to find any limited edition official distillery bottlings from Tomatin. This is no longer the case and I am pleased to confirm that there will be a steady flow of these for the foreseeable future. We have some amazing casks from the 1960’s up to the present day and I feel confident that consumers will be delighted with what we bring to the market in the near future.”

He continued “The single casks are obviously very different in character with one representing the traditional house style of Tomatin and the other showing that our whisky is fairly adaptable and works well in different cask types. I feel that the 21 year old is a good example of a traditional highland malt whisky. It is very soft and smooth but also has a slightly spicy edge to it which is typical of Tomatin as it gets past the teens.”

Notes

The 1999 and 1997 Single casks will be available in selected markets in Europe The 21 year old is a worldwide release. The Tomatin Distillery is located in the Highlands of Scotland 16 miles south of Inverness Tomatin malt whisky was historically purchased by the major blending companies in Scotland; however, the company is now focused as selling Tomatin as a single malt in it own right.

Tasting Notes

1997 Single Cask
Nose – Wonderfully rich, sweet vanilla. Fresh, lively notes of apricots, tropical fruit and lemon curd.
Palate – Mouth coating and rounded. Roasted nuts and white pepper with a minty touch.
Finish – Smooth and creamy with uplifting eucalyptus.

1999 Single Cask
Nose – Elegant with a rich sweetness. Toffee popcorn, gently toasted hazelnuts, dried orange peel and butterscotch.
Palate – Smooth, velvety texture. Sweetness layered on dry maltiness with hints of cracked black pepper.
Finish – Dry but smooths off with cereal notes.

21 Year old Limited edition
Nose – Delicate, flowery aromas to begin with, giving way to aniseed, old leather and pipe tobacco.
Palate – Rose water, aniseed and white grape juice.
Finish – Warm and zingy with a dry, oaky spiciness.

Visit Tomatin Distillery at http://www.tomatin.com/

Amrut Single Malt Whisky.
Now At Park Avenue Liquor Shop.

The wait is over.

The most anticipated whiskies in some time have finally arrived. The single malts of India’s Amrut Distillery have been ‘outsourced’ to the Park Avenue Liquor Shop.

There has been a lot of buzz about these bottles as they have already won multiple awards and high ratings from whisky world. Originating in Bangalore, the brand was first introduced to the UK in 2004.

“According to Indian Mythology, when Gods and Rakshasas – the demons – churned the oceans using the mountain Meru as churner, a golden pot sprang out containing the Elixir of Life. That was called the Amrut”.

Cheers!

Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com

Amrut Fusion

Fusion is possibly the most talked about of the Amrut line. It might be because Jim Murray’s 2010 Whisky Bible rated it a 97 and called it, “The third finest whisky in the world.” East meets West in this bottling as Indian barley grown at the foothills of the Himalayas and peated barley from Scotland are mashed, distilled and then aged separately before being married in a bourbon cask. The result is a rich fruity flavor with subtle yet sublime peat. Our Price: $65

Amrut: Single Malt Whisky

The nose has distinctly confidant licorice-bourbon notes with a nice bitter-sweet balance. There are also hints of both burnt honeycomb and toffee.

The taste has a bold richness and reveals enormous barley-oak sweetness; again, there is a big bourbon-esque presence with the licorice and molasses sugar. The barley adds that extra dimension.

There is a long, wonderfully layered oak finish offering variations of a sweet-dry theme. A touch silk with some cream toffee appear at the end.
2008 Bronze Winner – Malt Maniacs Our Price: $52

Amrut: Single Malt Whisky ~Cask Strength~

NOTE: Our verison comes in a metal tube not a box.

This golden yellow whisky has a nose with glorious bourbon notes fused with the richest of the barley statements; not entirely unlike caramelized biscuit dunked  incoffee. There’s a bit of a spicy attitude too.

That unique bitter – sweet taste where the oaks and barley appear joined at the hip is back along with lovely soft oils and then a sharp jolt of blood orange citrus.

You may also detect something more buttery and delicate. The finish is long and elegant with the oaks showing various bourbon then buttery characteristics. There is a trace of dark sugar and cocoa to help it along its way.

“Certainly the best non-peated Indian single malt to hit the international market.” – Jim Murray, Rated 92. Our Price: $73

Amrut: Peated Single Malt Whisky

Fresh oak with hints of vanilla jump in the nose. The peat is mellowed and is pleasant. Additional aromas of spiciness combined with fresh fruits are also at play here.

The taste contains layers of peat and smoke with youthful yet muscular oak constantly making their presence felt. The theme of fresh fruit and spices continue on the palate with an added hint of maltiness.

The finish is a pleasurable experience with the peat maintaining its supremacy while balancing the oak, fruit and spice. Our Price: $66

Amrut: Peated Single Malt Whisky ~Cask Strength~

Note: Our version comes in metal tube, not a box.

This one is honeyed yellow in color with a distinct smoked barley nose, as well as hints of a salt and pepperedbutter bite.

The taste delivers youthful barley until an intensely malty storm arrives followed by a healthy dose of dry oak.

A sublime finish of sheer delicacy and elegance; the peat no more than oozes, there are cups galore of sugarless medium roast mysore (a sweet Indian dessert). Finally, you travel down a bourbon flavor trail and discover, soft licorice and molasses sugar along the way. This is easily the highlight of the experience; one of the best finishes of year.

It is not chill filtered and comes straight from the barrel in its natural colour.

Bronze Award Winner Malt Maniacs 2008
Silver Best in Class IWSC 2008
Our Price: $84

GLENDRONACH 1996 CASK 197 RELEASED …BUT ONLY AVAILABLE AT ABERDEENSHIRE DISTILLERY!
 
GlenDronach is delighted to announce details today (April 13) of an exclusive single cask bottling…and it’s available only in a secluded corner of the Scottish countryside!
 
“1996 Cask 197 has been specially selected for devotees of our renowned richly-sherried malt and is only available at our Aberdeenshire distillery,” explained Regional Sales Director Alistair Walker.
 
“You won’t find it anywhere else in the world so if you want to savour this unique expression, you’ll have to come here to get one of our 576 bottles…but I assure you the journey will be well worth it!”
 
Alistair added: “Distilled and filled to cask on 16 February 1996 and bottled in March 2009, Cask 197 has been allowed to mature for over fourteen years. From an Oloroso Sherry Butt, it’s bottled at cask strength 59.7% vol. and is a great example of the big, rich, heavily-sherried style of whisky that malt drinkers the world over associate with GlenDronach.”
 
Cask 197’s tasting notes confirm it’s a classic GlenDronach – smooth, sweet, complex and full-bodied with an incredible concentration of aromas.
 
Nose: Chocolate toffee sauce and intense raisin notes. Fortified wine elements marry well with roasted hazelnuts and almonds.
 
Appearance: Rich rosewood with a warm autumnal glow.
 
Palate: Sweet and full-bodied. Bold mocha flavours with more toasted nuts. An injection of stewed fruit helps to lift this dram to new levels. Chocolate-covered dates and fig jam release towards the finish.
 
Cask 197 bottles retail at just £47.99 each.
 
Alistair added: “If you want to get hold of a bottle this spring, I’d advise you to get along to our Forgue distillery as quickly as possible, because once the 576 bottles are gone, they’re gone!”
 
For more information, go to www.glendronachdistillery.com, or email info@glendronachdistillery.co.uk or visit us any day of the week at The GlenDronach Distillery, Forgue by Huntly, Aberdeenshire AB54 6DB, Scotland, UK, tel : +44 (0)1466 730 202